Chapter 6, Key Finding 3

Social Nature of Energy Use — Opportunities to go beyond a narrow focus on the energy-efficiency industry to recognize and account for the social nature of energy use include 1) engaging in market transformation activities aimed at upstream actors and organizations in supply chains, 2) implementing efficiency codes and standards for buildings and technologies, 3) conducting research to understand how people’s behaviors socially vary and place different loads on even the most efficient energy-using equipment, and 4) adding consideration of what people actually do with energy-using equipment to plans for technology and efficiency improvements (high confidence).